The present invention relates, in general, to data transfer across networks, and in particular, to direct memory transfer of data from server memory to switch memory.
Modern computer data centers employ several different types of networks, for example InfiniBand, Ethernet, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), etc. These networks require protocol specific network interface controllers (NICs) or host bus adapters (HBAs) at the server. The network itself requires protocol specific switches, which are arranged in a multi-tier hierarchy and includes access or edge switches, larger capacity aggregation switches, and core switches. Additional equipment may be required, depending on the hierarchy, for example in hierarchies of 4, 5, or more tiers. In addition to the NIC at either end of each link, each switch adds latency to the network. Congestion in large networks, which may result from oversubscription, further increases latency and reduces available network bandwidth.